Pixel time: Here’s what we’re expecting from today’s Google Event

Product leaks have revealed a slew of new products set to be unveiled at Google’s October 4th event, including the Pixel 2 and Google Home Mini. Here’s what we’re expecting!

Today’s the day: Google is widely anticipated to debut a new update to its Pixel smartphones, though it would seem that we can expect far more from the Mountain View company with CEO Sundar Pichai takes the stage later today.

A massive leak courtesy of Droid Life has outed a slew of new products that Google will potentially unveil to the world later today – and all besides one particular product, the lineup appears set to be both tantalizing and expensive.

Ultra Pixel

Apple broke all convention this year to debut the iPhone X next to the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, and on October 4th we’re expecting to see Google’s counterattack with the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. However, a new report has claimed that the Mountain View company may be preparing a third entry in its mobile lineup under the name “Ultra Pixel”.

YouTuber Arun Maini cites that Google is preparing a premium competitor designed to tackle the likes of the iPhone X. According to Maini, the device will apparently feature a tall display with minimal side bezels that will be reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy S8.

The device will apparently feature a ‘new kind of fingerprint scanner’ – potentially a unit embedded beneath the smartphone’s display.

Maini teases imagery with the tagline ‘the future of Android is Fluid’ – positing that Google may be preparing to release an Android phone that does without a Home, Recent, or Return key in favour of gesture-based swipes.

The supposition isn’t unlikely, given that some Android manufacturers have turned to supporting gesture-based swipes instead of navigational buttons this year.

According to Maini, the device will apparently be the first Pixel smartphone to debut with a secondary camera module. The handset’s name – Ultra Pixel – shares its marque with HTC’s UltraPixel camera branding.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

According to prior leaks, the Pixel 2 is slated to bring a 5″ display with a 1080p resolution. The handset will apparently powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 SoC, and will carry 4GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of internal storage under-the-hood.

The Pixel 2 is expected to once again carry a single 12-megapixel camera with EIS (electronic image stabilization) in favour of OIS, and will apparently do without a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The handset will apparently debut with Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box, and will bring with it both USB Type-C support and an IP68 rating.

The Pixel 2 is expected to carry a standard display with a top and bottom bezel, while the Pixel 2 XL is slated to inherit a near bezel-less display as seen aboard the LG V30. Interestingly, the handset is slated to include a feature dubbed “Active Edge”, which is reminiscent of the Edge Sense found aboard HTC’s flagship U11.

According to Droid Life, the standard Pixel is expected to set consumers back $649 USD for 64GB, while a 128GB model will retail for $749 USD. The Pixel 2 XL is expected to retail for $849 USD at 64GB and $949 USD for 128GB.

Google Home Mini

Where Amazon has the smaller Echo Dot, Google is now expected to introduce the Google Home Mini; a teeny tiny version of its popular Home smart speaker. According to Droid Life, the Home Mini will be the cheapest product Google elects to unveil at its October event, with an asking price of just $50 USD.

The Home Mini focuses on voice interaction rather than music, and ditches a bassy speaker setup in favour of a smaller tweeter. The device is slated to arrive in Chalk (white), Charcoal (black), and Coral (Red), and will apparently not support physical buttons – meaning that consumers may need to toggle hardware settings from either the Google or Google Home app. The device will not be portable, and will need to be tethered to an electrical outlet.

Google Pixelbook

Google’s Chromebooks have done well in their mission to capture a swathe of the US market space, and now Google has returned to the fray with a new Chromebook dubbed the Google Pixelbook.

Where Microsoft tried to steal Google’s thunder earlier this year with the debut of Windows 10 s, the Mountain View company is now poking back with a Chromebook that will come armed with a “Pixelbook Pen” stylus that’s both pressure-sensitive and has tilt support.

The Pixelbook will apparently bring with it a hefty amount of physical storage – retailing for $1199 USD for a 128GB version, and $1399 USD for a 256GB model. The premium entry in the lineup will be a 512GB version for the hefty fee of $1729 USD.

New Daydream View headsets

Google’s bid to capture the virtual reality market with affordable headsets continues, and the Mountain View company is expected to debut a new series of Daydream View headsets that will rely on a smartphone screen for visuals and will carry a 3-axis controller.

Confusingly, it would appear that new Daydream VR headsets look identical to previous models – the newer versions have a higher entry fee at $99 USD, meaning that we may be introduced to new hardware capabilities that we’re presently unaware of.